Audience interaction systems are systems that enable participants at live events to become more fully immersed in location-based events, such as theatrical performances, concerts, professional sporting events, and other live events. Existing audience interaction systems, as well as systems that have been proposed, include systems that utilize heads-up displays and unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e., drones). These systems can use drones to beam live video feeds to audience members wearing heads-up displays. Such systems are designed to give audience members a view of the action from an on-stage perspective, to aid hearing-impaired audience members during live performance, or to improve communications within the performance technical running crew.
Other systems utilize environmental sensors that are embedded in spaces and physical objects as part of the “Internet of things”. Still other systems utilize holograms. However, holograms must be deployed in a controlled environment and require substantial technical skill on the part of operators.
The ubiquitous nature of smartphones and other mobile computing devices has presented a challenge to traditional live events in recent years. Arts organizations, in particular, have recognized the persistent and disruptive “glowing screen” of smartphones and have tested various strategies to minimize, if not eliminate, disruptions. However, these strategies will not be necessary if such smartphones can be incorporated into audience interaction systems.
Smartphones include many features that could be used in audience interactive systems. Some productions have attempted to engage smartphone-using audience members by providing online content meant to be accessed in tandem with the live experience. Similarly, lively virtual conversations have been created using Twitter hashtags during live concerts.
Smartphones introduce the potential for private interactivity with people not in the venue. However, smartphones can be undesirable at many live events because audiences can use their phones to engage with people and content that is outside of and often unrelated to the shared communal context of the live performance. Importantly, even if an audience member is actually using the phone to tweet or text a friend or acquaintance in the venue about the performance, audience members surrounding them will not know that they are engaged in conversation about the show. Indeed, given the sheer vastness of communications that occur on personal devices, audience neighbors are justified in the assumption that someone engaged in a text conversation through a smart device is not participating in the show.
Moreover, smartphones are not uniform in design and include features that are constantly changing as technology improves. Due to the collective nature of the experience of live performances, the fact that smartphones include constantly changing features and different capabilities provide a challenge for the development of audience interaction systems.
More significantly, Internet connectivity and data transfer in live performance environments is a significant consideration even for Wi-Fi and cellular technologies. Performance venues seldom provide Wi-Fi for audiences and the physical construction of venues frequently blocks out or impedes cellular reception. Internet connectivity can become sluggish in high-density settings, such as crowded theaters. Major Wi-Fi suppliers such as Cisco and Aruba Networks have developed solutions for high-density settings, but these Wi-Fi grids are costly to design and install. Smaller venues can be equipped with Wi-Fi.
Existing audience interaction systems have many limitations due to the inherent challenges of performance experience design that have not yet been solved in an effective or consistent manner. As a result, there is a need for an improved audience interaction system that can allow audiences to participate en masse. Such a system would have an enormous potential to improve experiences, increase financial returns, and yield valuable data on live experiences.